Eaves troughs are commonly supported in position along the eaves of a building with eaves trough support brackets. A wide variety of eaves trough support brackets have been devised including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,687,936 issued to Wilson, 5,570,860, issued to Schoenherr, 4,210,301, issued to Weiss, 3,737,127, issued to Maloney, Jr. et al., 3,426,987, issued to Leslie and 3,416,760, issued to Sauder 4,210,301, issued to Weiss.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,987 discloses a two-piece eaves trough bracket, which allows the longitudinal length of the bracket to be adjusted in order to accommodate eaves troughs of different widths. While generally effective for supporting an eaves trough, such brackets are relatively expensive due to the two-part construction, and provide limited vertical support to the distal edge of the eaves trough.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,416,760 and 4,210,301 disclose single piece eaves trough brackets which can be quickly and inexpensively manufactured by stamping a blank from sheet metal and bending the blank to the desired shape. While significantly less expensive than the two-piece bracket of U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,987, these brackets continue to provide limited vertical support to the distal edge of the eaves trough.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,737,127 discloses connection of a strap member to the longitudinal center of an eaves trough bracket and the roof in order to improve the vertical support provided by the bracket. While effective for improving the vertical support provided by the bracket, the strap significantly increases cost and complicates installation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,860 discloses an eaves trough bracket having a main longitudinal support member, an arched transverse leg extending downward from directly below the proximal end of the main member and a diagonal brace extending from the distal end of the leg to the distal end of the main support member. While effective for improving the vertical support provided by the bracket, the bracket is relatively expensive as the configuration of the bracket prevents the bracket from being quickly and inexpensively stamped from sheet metal and bent to the desired shape.
Accordingly, a need exists for an inexpensive eaves trough support bracket, which is simple and easy to install, and capable of providing improved vertical support to the distal end of the eaves trough.